Published: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 10:55 p.m.

The Northport City Council discussed taking over the schools within its city limits and creating its own Northport City School System during a work session Thursday night.

Staff file photo

If the move comes to fruition, the number of schools in the Tuscaloosa County School system could shrink by a third.

James Barnett, a member of the county school board, said the idea wasn't new and that Northport was part of a good system already.

“If they feel they can do a better job, more power to them,” Barnett said. “They would be better getting behind the schools they've got and giving more support.”

The Northport City Council discussed the idea during a work session Thursday night, surprising some council members. However, each said they were supportive and wanted to move forward with a feasibility study to see what the financial impact would be to create a city system.

City Administrator Scott Collins told the council the bottom line is that the city of Northport has no control over the schools in its city limits, and in order to grow and attract new businesses, industry and residents, the city needs to be able to offer the best.

“If we are going to be the ­finest-run city in the state, then we need to take every opportunity to offer the best quality of life for our citizens ...,” ­Collins told the council. “Economics follow school districts.”

Since the Tuscaloosa County Commission passed the one-cent sales tax for education in 2005, Northport has been paying taxes for the construction of new schools in other areas, while still paying for the construction of Tuscaloosa County High, Collins said.

When TCHS was built in 1997, there was no one-cent sales tax for school infrastructure, so the city of Northport dedicated $5 million — $250,000 a year for 20 years — to help pay for the school, he said.

Ultimately, Northport needs to be able to have control to ensure that the city's children are getting the best education possible, he said.

“We need to be either satisfied with where we are, or take steps to be where we want to be,” Collins said. “We need to take a serious look at the feasibility of creating a Northport city school system and use that as part of the comprehensive plan.”

Of the 33 schools in the Tuscaloosa County School system, these are in Northport: ­Collins-Riverside Middle, Crestmont Elementary, , Echols Middle, Faucett-Vestavia Elementary, Flatwoods Elementary, Huntington Place Elementary, Matthews Elementary, Sprayberry Educational Center, Tuscaloosa County High School and Northport Elementary.

Three more county schools, Walker Elementary, Northside Middle and Northside High School, are just north of Northport.

County school board member Gary Bonner said a city system had never materialized because Northport couldn't handle the tax burden required to fund it.

“Northport will do what Northport wants, but the Northport schools are in a pretty good school system, and it would be a big undertaking,” Bonner said.

County board member Gary Mims agreed.

“We have a good school system and are working extremely hard to focus on the needs of our kids,” he said.

Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon said the county system has educated the children of Northport for generations and done a great job, but that it was time for Northport to take control of its schools.

“We need a separate identity,” Herndon said, referring to how the city has become financially solvent and turned itself around in the last five years. Moving forward with its own city school system would be the next logical step, he suggested.

While the idea has been brought up before by Northport residents, it's the first time that it has been discussed by the council, Councilman Steve Acker said. He suggested that the council do some research and pursue the idea of a Northport City School District.

Councilwoman Judy Hayes said she was supportive of improving the schools, especially if it also meant improving neighborhoods in her district, but she said she did not want it to result in any new taxes.

The City Council is likely to move forward with the feasibility study before making a decision.